Testing For Hope

Chapter 17 - The Shadow

I woke up with the birds chirping in the trees above my tent like always. I stretched when I got up, taking off the robe with delicacy not seen anywhere else in my actions. I put on my armour from the day before, the straps on the metal being just as easy to put on as they were to take off the day before.

Leaving my tent, I walked over to the running water source nearby to wash my eyes for maximum guarding abilities. This was, afterall, what the lady above had wished us to do. The gunk from my eyes washed out with ease and I soon started strolling through the woods to the cook's station for the breakfast of the day.

It was usually something that could be taken with us on the road, just in case anyone needed to leave in a hurry or woke up late when work was to begin. Today's special on the menu was an egg and fried ham wrap. The bread was an export from the sirens below our kingdom. They were the source of many of our exports, in fact. As for the fried ham, it was, at its core, just bacon with some bread on it. It was a recipe found in some Northern parts of Hubain knows where.

I grabbed my breakfast with a polite nod in the cook's direction, trying to give them praise and discovery that they had hoped for with the little energy I had that early in the morning. The sky was still dark, but slowly getting brighter, when I sat with the other knights and discussed business with the night patrol before their shift was over. The bags under their eyes were evident. It makes sense, though, considering where we had set up camp.

The Enchanted Woods were no laughing matter to the guards stationed to watch in that direction overnight from even the castle. They would turn all the heads in the room with the things they said were heard or seen from there. These knights, though, were put into the place itself. They heard and saw things they seemed afraid to mention. The woods are said to mess with your mind, which is probably keeping their tongue in their throats.

I sent them off the bed with a dismissive wave, seeing their sleep deprived eyebags and wishing all good rest for each individual that had to stand post over all of us in our most defenceless state. I then went back to my wrap and finished eating it, picking up on some of the meaningless ramble the other guards were talking about. It didn't matter anyway. As soon as it went in one ear, it went out the other and was soon replaced with the next sentence for judgement by my ears.

When I was done, I left the site to go on a stroll. The Enchanted Woods were the attraction of our kingdom, the lights attracting all types of merchants and species brought in scientists and doctors. The terrain and lifeforms in here were like from a dream.

I stopped in my tracks when I came to the natural garden that I had ventured to many years before with Sofia. I wonder if she would still look the same in this lighting... 

A crack of a twig startled me, making me pull out my hidden dagger in the direction of the noise. I squinted because of the sunlight shining right in front of my face. I could have sworn by the great goddess that there was something, or someone, behind the tree across the mystical plants.

"Come out now or I will have no hesitation," I called out, hoping to draw it out.

"...no..." a voice replied, so quiet that I almost didn't pick up on it.

I tried to catch another glimpse of the figure hidden in the shadows, but to no avail. The trees became too dense in the direction the voice was coming from. It was almost like talking to the void.

I then lowered my dagger, not quite putting it away yet. "What are you doing out here anyway?" It seems to be humanoid...

"what? ...I live here. What are you doing in my forest?"